The Durham Irish Association of Canada

math

Dolores Masci's brother, Seamus O'Neill, is a renowned Irish educator who has written books for schools on Mathematics and Irish Gaelic. His latest is a Mathematics book geared to elementary school children and is to be found in all Irish schools. It is a remarkable text called "Scratch from Scratch" which teaches basic computer programming language (Scratch) to children. Following is a description from the website: www.scratchfromscratch.com

Scratch from Scratch is the perfect way to start learning SCRATCH – the exciting programming language that’s aimed at younger learners. This book is intended for young and old, but primarily with the teacher or mentor of children in mind. It is a fully revised book that follows on from an earlier limited edition that was released with an older version of Scratch. It came with the promise of a sequel which would cover the Tools and Skills of Scratch, Computational Thinking and Numeracy from Scratch.

Go online and have a look. If you have children or grandchildren, this could be just what you and your child's teacher are looking for!

Also, see below where you can download an entire Irish course from Seamus free!

Original DIA member, Dolores Masci, wants to share with you, the fruits of her brother's labours. Seamus O'Neill, Dolores's brother, was once a Christian Brother and teacher. He has written extensive curricula, particularly in Mathematics and the Gaelic language. He also produces an annual book of poems compiled by Irish school children. Mr. O'Neill's books are still used throughout Ireland and have been purchased as teaching tools by school boards. Below is a beginner's book for adults wanting to learn Irish. Dolores assures me that the material listed below is available, free of charge, for download at http://www.isfeidirliom.ie/. I have a copy myself and, as a teacher, I can assure you that it is beautifully arranged and illustrated. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed!

Is Féidir Liom- A beginners’ course in Irish for Adults

Is féidir liom is a dictionary-based investigative course with CD support.

The Book and CD were written and produced by Seamus O'Neill and published by Navan Education Centreinfo@ecnavan.ie

The course also provides Free Teaching and Learning Materials on internet to supplement the Book and CD. More material will be added to this site in the autumn. http://www.isfeidirliom.ie

The book (61 pages) is available in Eason’s in Navan at a cost of €16.50. Larger orders for classes can be bought from The Teachers Centre in Navan at a reduced price.

Is Féidir liom will be in use during the classes for adults organised by Áth Buí le Gaeilge in September.

Local Gaelic Classes!

If you would like to learn or just brush up on your Gaelic, Seamus McSherry will be holding classes in the basement atChurch Of The Good Shepherd, 300 Court St., Oshawa. (ph: 905-433-2500). Classes meet Tuesdays at 7:00 PM and go until 9:00 PM. Participants are asked to give $4.00 per class to donate to the church for the use of its facilities. Classes are small, with a very warm and informal atmosphere, so come out and see what you think. Seamus will take you, at any time of the year, whether you are a raw beginner or a seasoned speaker.

We have included study sheets that go with each lesson and can be printed out from the website below:

www.hofshi.net

When you go to the website, click on "Beginning Irish Gaelic Class - Spring 2007 (Taught by David Page) " and you see, in PDF format, all the lesson sheets. We recommend you print these lesson sheets out, you will need them to accompany and get full benefit the video.

These classes were filmed at the House of Ireland which is located in Balboa Park in San Diego. There are three Irish language classes taught each week - beginner, intermediate, and advanced, with a different teacher for each level.